A North Carolina husband and wife recently filed a new Zostavax shingles vaccine lawsuit against pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., alleging the vaccine caused serious side effects.

The plaintiff, Cecilia S., says she was inoculated with the Zostavax vaccine on March 5, 2017, in order to prevent shingles (or herpes zoster). Unfortunately, the day after receiving this vaccine, Cecilia alleges she suffered from a number of problems, including herpes zoster, cellulitis, and postherpetic neuralgia.

Shingles is a viral infection associated with a painful rash, according to the Mayo Clinic, often appearing as a strip of blisters wrapping around one side of a person’s torso, though it can occur anywhere on the body. Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox.

Cellulitis is a common but sometimes serious bacterial skin infection, and postherpetic neuralgia is a condition that affects nerve fibers and skin, causing pain.

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a complication of shingles, lasting long after the other effects of shingles have disappeared.

Cecilia alleges that these side effects were a direct result of taking the Zostavax vaccine, leading to not only her physical pain, but also mental and emotional distress, as well as medical expenses.

Cecilia and George filed their shingles vaccine lawsuit on March 28, 2019, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including negligence, design and manufacturing defect, failure to warn, breach of express and implied warranties, and several others. Cecilia’s husband George also filed on a count of loss of consortium.

Background of Zostavax

According to the CDC, Zostavax is a shingles vaccine manufactured by Merck & Co., and is used in patients 60 and older to immunize against shingles. Zostavax was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2006.

Zostavax Side Effects

Merck’s patient information sheet for Zostavax includes relatively mild side effects like headaches, local reaction, fever, joint pain, muscle pain, nausea, and chickenpox or shingles.

Unfortunately, the Zostavax vaccine has been linked with some other serious complications, which may be lasting or even permanent in nature.

More severe Zostavax shingles vaccine side effects include:

• Hearing loss
• Necrotizing Retinitis
• Neurological disorders
• Ramsay Hunt
• Retinal Uveitis leading to vision loss or blindness diagnosed by a doctor
• Vision loss/ blindness documented by a doctor
• Paralysis
• Wrongful death where medical records show it was from shingles or another condition such as:
  • Acute myelitis
  • Bell’s Palsy
  • Encephalitis

Side effects of the Zostavax shingles vaccine may not appear immediately. There is approximately a six-month window in which side effects may appear.

Filing a Zostavax Vaccine Lawsuit

If you or someone you love has suffered from these or other side effects after exposure to the Zostavax shingles vaccine, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. Of course, filing a lawsuit cannot undo the pain and suffering caused by Zostavax complications, but it can at least help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses, lost wages, and more.

You may be qualified to join this investigation if you have received the Zostavax shingles vaccine and have been diagnosed with one of the listed side effects within 6 months of taking the vaccine, sometime in the last two years.

The Zostavax Lawsuit is Case No. 2:19-cv-01307-HB, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.